[390th]8/25 Mysterious Human Behaviors/Social Standards/Creative Techniques

[민주(Catherine)]

21 people treated for burns after firewalk at Tony Robbins appearance

SAN JOSE -- Amid inspirational talk, chanted mantras and shouts of victory at a late-night firewalking event attended by thousands Thursday came agonized shrieks from followers whose soles were scorched by the superheated coals, witnesses said.

At least 21 people were treated for burn injuries after taking part in the crowning event of the first day of a Tony Robbins function downtown, including at least three who went to the hospital, a San Jose fire captain said.

The people who suffered various second- and third-degree burn injuries were among more than 6,000 who attended the motivational speaker's event at the San Jose Convention Center called "Unleash the Power Within."

Jonathan Correll, 25, decided to check out what was going on when "I heard wails of pain, screams of agony." He said one young woman appeared to be in so much pain. "It was people seriously hurting, like they were being tortured," he said.

But on a break from day two of the four-day event Friday night, others who walked on the coals said it was nothing short of life-changing.

Henry Guasch, 19, of Mountain View, said that after crossing the coals while chanting his mantra of "Cool moss," he felt powerful. "Overcoming something like that, it's a breakthrough," he said, adding that he did slow his pace in the middle of the field and got a minor burn.

Guasch and Andrew Brenner, another fire walker, both said that the keys to not getting singed are faith and concentration.

Kim, a 22-year-old, said her two friends who did the walk seemed fine at first, but their feet started to blister about 10 minutes later. She said other people had similar problems, and a number of them were soaking their feet in a fountain at the park.

"It seemed abnormal that so many got hurt," she said, adding that many attendees Friday complained about blisters, and a woman sitting near her had both feet completely bandaged.

David Willey, a physics instructor at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown in Pennsylvania, has published a text and video on the physics of firewalking and stated that it "does not need a particular state of mind."

"Rather, it is the short time of contact and the low thermal capacity and conductivity of the coals that is important," he wrote. He added that ash that builds up on coals can provide further insulation.

San Jose Fire Department Capt. Reggie Williams said event organizers had emergency personnel on standby and had obtained an open fire permit from the San Jose Fire Department, Williams said. A fire inspector from the department was at the event to make sure there was no accidental fire.

A statement released Friday from Robbins Research International, said, "We have been safely providing this experience for more than three decades, and always under the supervision of medical personnel ... We continue to work with local fire and emergency personnel to ensure this event is always done in the safest way possible."

On the Tony Robbins website, he promotes "The Firewalk Experience," a process where people walk across coals between 1,200 and 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.

Q1. Do you think it has practical effects as a mental therapy for people who are in trouble of their own? If you are depressed for any kind of desperate situations, would you try this?

Q2. Have you ever done something challengeable to make a turning point in your life? What are your know-hows to overcome miserable situations?

Q3. Tell us about people or books that inspired you to live better life.

Q4. Do you believe in miracles by spiritual powers? Or is this just a type of superstition?

Glasses look to keep Israeli women out of sight

JERUSALEM (AP) ― It’s the latest prescription for extreme ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who shun contact with the opposite sex: Glasses that blur their vision, so they don’t have to see women they consider to be immodestly dressed.

In an effort to maintain their strictly devout lifestyle, the ultra-Orthodox have separated the sexes on buses, sidewalks and other public spaces in their neighborhoods. Their interpretation of Jewish law forbids contact between men and women who are not married.

Walls in their neighborhoods feature signs exhorting women to wear closed-necked, long-sleeved blouses and long skirts. Extremists have accosted women they consider to have flouted the code.

Now they’re trying to keep them out of clear sight altogether.

The ultra-Orthodox community’s unofficial “modesty patrols’’ are selling glasses with special blur-inducing stickers on their lenses. The glasses provide clear vision for up to a few meters so as not to impede movement, but anything beyond that gets blurry ― including women. It’s not known how many have been sold.

For men forced to venture outside their insular communities, hoods and shields that block peripheral vision are also being offered.

The glasses are going for the “modest’’ price of $6.

Q1. Morals regarding a men-women relationship have always been a controversial issue from centuries ago. Though we used to be a conservative country in the past for Confucianism, it has been changed dramatically so it's not surprising to see quite indecent performances, movies(dramas) on TV or even from couples in public spaces. Do you think we came too far from our virtues losing morals or it's just a natural process to be a complete individual with free will?

Q2. In some countries, women are treated as possessions of their husbands and don't have any freedom as an individual for religious reasons. For example, women should wear a Burka, cannot come out from their houses without male family members, and are prohibited from voting etc. Do you think we shouldn't judge their culture by our own criteria? Or should we interfere with voice of general justice and make additional conflicts?

Q3. Do you know somebody who has exceptional standards on social manners for any kind of reason? Let's share our experience.

Mexico City Architecture Firm Takes Skyscrapers Below Ground

Ambitious architecture and Mexico City seldom appear in the same sentence due to the government's strict building code, but BNKR Arquitectura has found a way by thinking outside of the box, or, rather, underneath the surface. The architecture firm has unveiled plans to build an underground structure, dubbed the "Earthscraper" in the city's main square that would adhere to local regulations. BNKR has proposed an inverted building that would extend 65 stories below ground.

The structure would be shaped like an upside down pyramid, with a central void to allow natural light and air ventilation to reach all 65 stories. The first few floors of the Earthscraper would be a combination of residential areas, retail space and a museum focusing on Aztec and Mayan artifacts while the rest of the 35 floors would be designated for offices, according to Overclockers Club.

To preserve the many cultural activities that take place in the main square, BNKR proposes to incorporate a giant glass window on top of the structure.

The Earthscraper aims to solve the city's growing infrastructure problem by adding new space, which many have found difficult because of a local law that states buildings may not exceed eight stories. In addition, preservation of historical buildings and the scarcity of usable land has deterred many from addressing the city's growing need for space.

Many have questioned the usefulness of such a project due to Mexico City's vulnerability to earthquakes and other environmental disasters, but BNKR believes strongly in the project. The firm was quoted on i09.com, saying: "The Earthscraper is the Skyscrapers antagonist in a historic urban landscape where the latter is condemned and the preservation of the built environment is the paramount ambition."

Q1. Do you like this idea? If you have a chance to live in this building, are you willing to do this?

Q2. Which building you visited was the most beautiful or impressive? And tell us the worst case as well.

Q3. There are many creative types of buildings such as an hotel made with ice or built on tree tops. Do you have your dream residences or places you really want to go someday? Describe your ideal home freely(modern or classical etc.).

Q4. Some people have acrophobia and some are afraid of being stuck in a closed space(claustrophobia). What about you? Do you have any phobias?

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[민주(Catherine)]

역시 주제선정은 어렵네요...질문도 쌩뚱맞은거 같은데...수정 및 조언 받습니다~^^

[근아(Alice)]

컥ㅋㅋ 완젼 대기하고 있었구만ㅋ 수고해써~!^^

[권지선(jiseon)]

와~~성실한민주^^짱짱

[고윤석[미르]]

와.. 빠름~빠름~ ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

[민주(Catherine)]

아 맞다. 이 게시글 자체에는 사진이 빠졌는데 파일에는 참고사진도 있으니 스맛폰으로 보실분은 첨부파일 열어서 뷰어로 보시는게 좋으실 듯 합니다^^

[근아(Alice)]

다음주 토론 자료로 고고씽!★